THE WIZARD OF OZ Documentary in the Works From Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is tapping into the Wicked mania with a new documentary about the making of the original 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. DiCaprio will produce the doc, titled "Oz," through his production company Appian Way, with filmmaker Tom Donahue set as director, Variety reports. 

The movie will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the 1939 classic, which stars Judy Garland. It will reportedly utilize never-before-seen or heard footage and audio from the era and will also take a look at the staying power of the movie and how it has continued to remain a beloved piece of film history more than 80 years later. The movie is due to be released in 2026. 

This now-classic musical film stars Garland as Dorothy Gale, the young Kansas girl dreaming of a life away from her family farm. What begins in dull black-and-white soon becomes a Technicolor extravaganza as Dorothy and her dog Toto are whisked away to the colorful world of Oz. 

Many people have been introduced to Dorothy and the Emerald City through this movie, which was released to acclaim in the summer of 1939. The sets, production design, and Judy Garland's performance were all praised, as were the songs by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.

Over the Rainbow and If I Only Had a Brain are among the memorable numbers in the film, the former of which has been covered countless times by some of the top recording artists. One of the cut songs- The Jitterbug- has turned up in many subsequent stage productions of the material. The movie won three Academy Awards, receiving a total of six nominations. It has gone on to be considered one of the greatest films of all time, and a reimagined, AI-enhanced version of the movie is now playing at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

In addition to the 1939 title, there have been numerous other spinoffs and adaptations of L. Frank Baum's original tale, including the stage and screen prequel, Wicked. The conclusion of the Wicked film adaptation, Wicked: For Good, arrives in theaters this Friday, November 21. 

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.